Peters



cient fr. M.' MIToHELL, or PHILADELPHIA, rnNNsrLvANIA` Leners .Patent Np. 97,309, daraznfovemm 30,1869.

INIPROYEMENT IN PRESSES FOR COMPACTING- THE WASTE PARTICLES OF COAL INTO `BLOGKS FOR FUEL.`

The Bchecule referred to in these Letters Patent'and making part of the same.

To all whom it mag/concern Beit known that I.l. M. MITCHELL, of the cityV n of Philadelphia, in the State of Pennsylvania, have invented a'new and useful Improvement vin the Press for Compacting the Particles of Taste Coal into Blocks or Lumps for Fuel; and ldo hereby declare that theV follovring is a full, clear, and exact descriptionof' the construction and operation ofthe same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making a part of this' specification, in which?- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the said improved press; p Figure 2, -a longitudinal vertical section Figure 3, an end elevation; and

`Figure 4, a horizontal section below the dotted line .'v'woifigl. ,i

Like letters and uumbersof reference indicate the same parts when in the different figures.

After the waste coal has been washed, screened, and mixed with the proper cementing-material in a heated condition, substantially as is described in my other' specifications, (divisions O `and 13,) the plastic mass is to be divided and compacted into solid blocks or lumps, suitable for fuel; and

The objectl of the present improvement is to aiford a lpress of more simple construction, that will produce the result automatically, in a more rapid, effective, and perfect manner.

The nature of my invention consists in the peculiar construction, arrangement, and mode of operation of certain' mechanical devices hereinafter described and pointed out.

Referring to the drawingsd A B is-the stationary supporting-basent' the machine'.

C Care horizontally-placed bed-plates, in the two respective ends of the machine, which support the bottoms of two series of' moulds 1-1..

D, a yoke, connecting rigidly together two head- ,pieces al' d', which slide on suitable guides', and have adjustably lixed in each head a series of removable or changeable pluugers, 2-2, constructed and arranged to correspond and operate in connect-ion with the respective series of mou-lds 1-1, during the reciprocating` movements ofthe said sliding heads, as will hereinafter be explained.

The moulds 1-1 are formed by casting the bottom of each series'of' the same, with' a series of upright partitions, 3-3, having their sides or faces slightly sloped towardthe bottoms of the moulds; and upon these partitions a covering-plate, 4, is secured, which has an oblong opening, 5, through it, which affords open communication between the mouths of said I `moulds and a hopper, G, above. AThe bottom plates Writ@ two ends, the driving-shaft lil is secured, to rot-ate,'and

has fixed upon it a cam, F, which hasr three projecting knuckles, f* f" f, of different lengths, each of which successively vcomes in contact with the two curved projections or swells, d d, on the inner sides of the yoke D, during each complete rotary motion of the said shaft E, and, consequently, give simultaneous reciprocating motion to the yoke, with its sliding heads d d and plungers22.

Across over the upper or open side of' each of the two series of moulds 1-1, is iixed the-hopper G, for receiving Vthe hot plastic mass which is tohe' compacted into blocks or lumps. v' '.lhe bottom side of each hopper opens directly into the oblong space 5 which results between its series of moulds l and their respecabove, into the oblong space 5, 'produced between the mouths of the moulds and their plungers.

Rotary motion is alternately given to the two feed- I ing-cylinders, g' g', by means ot' a ratchet-wheel, H,

and a weighted pawl, h', which is` articulated to one end of one of the short levers h h", which turns on their' respective journals, and are operated by the movement-s of the respective ends ofanequal-armed overhead lever, I, to which the said short levers hf h are articulated. (See fig. 1.)

'lhe lever I is fixed on one `end of a rock-shaft, K, which is supported. across on the upper'part of the machine, iu suitable hearings, and is also rigidly fixed in the upper end of' a pendnlousarm, L, the lower end of which arm having a yoke, which receives an eccentric, e', which is fixed on the main ,shaft E, and thus pendnlous or oscillating motions given to the arm, and, consequently, the, vibrator-y 'motions to the lever I, whereby the alternate rotatingl motions required are given to the feeding-cylinders g g.

The outer, or discharge-ends of both series of the moulds 1 -1 are alternately closed and opened by means of solid plates or gates M M, which are fitted to slide vertically and securely in close contact with the outer ends of said moulds, so 'as to alternately close and open the latter, as will hereinafter be described.v

The alternating motions are given tothe said gates or plates M M by means of an equal-armed overhead lever, N, the fulcrum of whichis the shaft K, and to which it is rigidly fixed, and by which it is also vibrated simultaneously with the lever I.

To the respective ends of the said lever N,the gates or plates M M are suspended. (See fig. 2.)

Opera tion.

The hoppers G G being put in communication with a suitable mixer, (see specification, division B,) and a constant supply of the hot plastic mass out of which the blocks or lumps of fuel are to be formed and pressed, (see specilieation, division 0,) rotary motion is then given to the main shaft E, in the direction of the arrow, iig. l., and, consequently, simultaneous l'evolving motions given to the eccentric c and the` knuckles f' f f of the cam F. (See figs. l. and 2.)

The cam and eccentric are so adjusted and fixed on the shaft E, that during the continuance ofthe rotary motion of the latter, and immediately after the longest knuckle f has passed one of the swells d", onthe yoke D, and thus openedthe mouths of the series of moulds in the opposite end of the machine, and the eccentric c', having at the same time closed the outletends of the same series of moulds, by lowering the gate or pla-te M at that end, as shown in fig. 2, the knuckle ff comes in contact with the swell on.the other side o'f the said yoke D, and, passing over its surface, causes the series of plungersat that end of the machine to till, and powerfully compact the' contents of its respective series of moulds.

The shortest knuckle f' now comes in contactwith tbe swell d", outhe opposite side of the yoke I), and, passing over its surface, causes a partial Vwithdrawal of the plungerswhich have just compacted the'contents ofthe said series of moulds, and thus the closed gate M of said moulds, being relieved from the pressure incident to the com pactin g-operation j ust described, the eccentric e moves the yoked arm L, and thus causesthe lever-N to raise the gate M, which covers lthe outlets of said moulds, the other' end of said lever closing its moulds.

The longest knuckle f" then comes in coutactwith the swell which the knuckle f" had just'previously passed over, and, passing over its surface, pushes the series of plnngers in that end of the machine through its respective series of moulds, and thus discharges the compacted blocks or lumps, which, being conducted by a receiving-chute or otherwise, fall into a suitable car, whereby they may bee-conveyed to a dry ing-oven. (See specification, division A.)

At the time the lever N causes the elevation of the gate M, the lever I causes the rotary motion of the nearest feed-cylinder g', and thus insures a supply of feed to the oblong space formed between the plunger-s and the moulds by the retraction of the plungers, simple gravitation not always being reliable for filling the space closely.

The operationsV just described are repeated in regular succession at the other end of the machine during each full rotary motion of the shaft E, and, consequently, the machine may be called a double-acting press.7

I am aware that double-acting presses have long been used for different purposes, and that a patent was grantedto Jolm B. Coll'e'n, dated January 22, 1867, for a machine for pressing manufactured fuel into bricks or blocks, the said machine heilig c onstructed and -arranged to operate as a double-acting press. Therefore, I do not desire to claim, broadly, a, double-acting press, nor anything described and shown in said patent; but, having fully described my improvement,

Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is confined to the following, viz:

The combination of the overhead lever N, the yoked arm L, the eccentric e', and the main shaft E, the said parts beingconstructed andl arranged to operate together, substantially as set forth and described,

for the purpose of raising and lowering the gates M M, in the manner described.

T. M. MITCHELL. Witnesses:

BENJ. Momsox, .WAL H. Morrison. 

